Serious - how did people track their mileage before GPS watches and were people so anal about recording every metric

becoming a better cheater wrote:

early 70's used 1;24000 scale USGS topo maps.

I was mid-70's and glad to know I was not the only nut that did this. The problem was only one place sold those in my area. I used a compass and protractor on the map to measure courses over rugged terrain. For roads I used several cars. I did not trust just one car's odometer as they were not all calibrated. I'd use at least 2 and average them.

Does anyone really obsess over the GPS or Strava data? The only times I’ve seen people obsess over heart rate or cadence or power or estimated level of exertion, it’s been in a tongue and cheek way.

Pre- internet days.

As a measuring nerd (starting back in the late 60's!) I did much of what has been mentioned already.

- Used a measuring wheel to WALK all of my running routes. In addition, I measured our local Thanksgiving Day 5 Mile Run - marking off every 220 yards to use for interval training.

- Used any maps I could find (including topo) + string to distance.

- in the mid 70's I graduated to using the calibrated Jones Counter....and the rest is history.

fyi - this was pre internet and computer days. We used slide rules and correcto tape. If we needed to research something we would spend hours/days in the library. If we ordered something we did it by mail and hopefully it would come within a month. TV - we had 4 channels which went off air before midnight and started up again around 5:30.

do you count totally in your head? I have a hard time coordinating breathing with counting because I have to count aloud, though under my breath, and its hard to keep up when the stride rate is faster than the breath rate.

Running since 1977. Measured some road distances by car, others by using maps and also the TOPO maps, which were the most accurate. Had the little wheel instrument (opisometer) that you rolled along the map. A few months after I started running, bought a Rollotape surveryors wheel and wheeled most of my routes, put some paint stripes down. Still do that today, but Google Maps is very good if a route is too long to wheel. Never interested in GPS, the accuracy just isn't there for running.

A few years ago, I bought a surveyors level and did the elevations on a road mile course that I run regularly. Took readings every 55 yards, and then made a map of it. I got that idea from a map that the New York Road Runners Club (back when it was good) did of Central Park that had an elevation map along the bottom. Don't know who did that map, but it was a thing of beauty. I've used the wheel to measure most of the tracks that I've run on (1 foot out from curb or end of the asphalt), and find differences there also. I calibrate the wheel against a 300 foot steel tape and some other tapes that I have.

I also had some survey aluminum discs made, about an inch in diameter and had them stamped with ZATOPEK BANNISTER around the top and knocked them in the pavement along my routes every 440 yards. I also knock them in on random roads just for the hell of it; maybe some runner will see them and get a kick out of it.

Maybe it sounds complicated, but it's not something that takes forever, it's not rocket surgery, and I enjoy doing it.

Very proud boomer!

Maps and car odometer, same as everyone else, starting in 1980. I wear GPS these days but need to get back to running mainly for time again soon. I've looked at cheapo Timex Ironman watches a few times recently, which would force me to run for time again, although I know mile marks on most of the roads and trails I run.

GPS is a wonderful tool in some instances but is used and obsessed over way too much these days.

Running since 1970. Growing up in rural areas we had set routes that we knew what it was 2 miles to the neighbors, 8 miles to town , one mile along the trail to the pasture etc. Used a lot of imagination to make up workouts. Long run was 16 miles to town and back around 1:50. Loop around the entire farm was 3 miles on the trails. You could order shoes through the local Sears catalogue office. Those days it was pretty much Adidas or Puma. T shirts and the old adidas three stripe track suits was standard running gear Old windup Timex watch to keep track of pace. Used the old 65 Dodge pickup to drive the routes and farm trails to measure the distance. A fast run was around 15 minutes for the 3 mile loop. We had no track to run on so we measured out routes by the 1/4 mile with the truck. Fun times Cheers

We Barry Brown it. Put down 8 and found out years later it was 6.5.

I used google maps but since getting GPS I realised that I was running some of my runs short.

Aunt Jemima bye bye wrote:

All the people I know are obsessed with every little metric you can possibly track. Just go run.

Runners tend to be nerds. Nerds tend to like numbers.

bowbridge wrote:

I also had some survey aluminum discs made, about an inch in diameter and had them stamped with ZATOPEK BANNISTER around the top and knocked them in the pavement along my routes every 440 yards. I also knock them in on random roads just for the hell of it; maybe some runner will see them and get a kick out of it.

Are you serious about this? If so, that's awesome; good for you. 10/10.

Most of my runs I just guesstimated. If I ran an hour at at a normal pace, then I'd guess it was 9 miles. The more times I ran a route, then more precise my estimate of the distance got. I used 1/2 mile increments, but I really tried to pick whole number routes. If I had a 6.5 mile route, I'd try to add to it to make it 7 miles.

If I had a route I wanted to run tempo runs on I'd use a map and a string or a ruler. Most of my routes were hard to measure by car and I'd be on trails for parts of them, or would cut through parking lots to avoid 90 degree turns.

I did not put a lot of analysis in my run. Just weekly, monthly, or offseason mileage.

Easy runs and long runs we based on Badger miles. Tempos and fartleks on measured courses with known mile markers.

I used a measuring stick or just ran at pre-marked courses. Some used the odometer to plot a route with their car. More people probably used a track instead of the road.

But GPS watches have been around since 1999 or so.

bartholomew_maxwell wrote:

I used a measuring stick or just ran at pre-marked courses. Some used the odometer to plot a route with their car. More people probably used a track instead of the road.

But GPS watches have been around since 1999 or so.

Not measuring stick...measuring wheel. I'd measure a short course with pen point accuracy by walking it using my measuring wheel and then just run as many laps as needed.

I personally used a bicycle with an old bicycle speedometer (it had an odometer as well). Not the most accurate but ok for the job. Some attached a measuring wheel to a bike. Other used cars or motorcycles.

We were very creative. Not you, obviously.

I've never used any gadgets more complicated than an analog watch (into the late1990s) and then a simple digital watch (into the present), and I've been hauling down times putting me at the top of some recent World and National championships. I refuse to use a Garmin; to me, it is intrusive, ridiculously expensive, and utterly useless. ~Fiona Bayly

@ Fiona Bayly - as someone who shares your views of technology (if not your running prowess), this is gratifying and reassuring to hear. Thanks.